WVU Nursing Program Sees Perfect Pass Rate On Accreditation Exam

The recent graduating class of West Virginia University’s (WVU) accelerated nursing program posted a 100 percent pass rate on their national licensure exam.

All 23 students in the school’s BS/BA to Bachelor of Science in Nursing program passed the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses this past December on their first attempt. The exam is required to become a registered nurse in the United States, Canada and Australia.

The 18-month program is for students who already had a bachelor’s degree and is composed of older students.

“It’s really great for those kinds of second degree students who wish to have a changing career,” WVU School of Nursing Associate Dean Brad Phillips said.

It’s the second year each student involved in the program has passed the exam, with the state Board of Examiners for Registered Professional Nurses also reporting a 100 percent pass rate in 2020. Counting each individual group of students, this marks the ninth time in the past six years the program has met the pass rate.

Phillips credits the success to the fact that the programs’ students have gone through bachelor’s programs before.

“They have previous degrees, they’re older, they’re more mature,” Phillips said. “They’re truly adult learners that bring a wealth of knowledge, wisdom and skills into their program.”

The national pass rate for first-time exam takers last year was 74 percent nationwide, according to the National Council of State Boards of Nursing, with the benchmark in West Virginia being 80 percent.

WVU also opened a similar program at their Bridgeport campus last month, in part to address a nationwide nursing shortage.